Exclusive: Gov. Rick Snyder sits down with The Sentinel

Thursday

May 8, 2014 at 10:43 AMMay 8, 2014 at 10:43 AM

Gov. Rick Snyder changed out of his Dutch costume and came to The Holland Sentinel offices in downtown Holland on Wednesday afternoon to talk about Detroit, roads and the education. He is up for re-election in November.

By Andrea.Goodell@HollandSentinel.com(616) 546-4275

Gov. Rick Snyder changed out of his Dutch costume and came to The Holland Sentinel offices in downtown Holland on Wednesday afternoon to talk about Detroit, roads and the education. He is up for re-election in November.

On Detroit's bankruptcy

Why should West Michigan and the rest of the state pay to bail out Detroit?“It's important in a lot of ways,” Snyder said.

For those who live outside the state, Detroit is Michigan — “That's their impression of our state.”

Snyder, a first-term Republican governor, spoke favorably of a one-time $195 million “grand bargain” that could help pull Detroit out of the depths of bankruptcy. A package of bills is expected to hit the state House today that would authorize the move. The money would be paid back to the state's rainy day fund from its tobacco settlement fund over the course of 20 years.

By solving Detroit's problems, Michigan could turn a negative into a positive, Snyder said.“Just think of the ‘Pure Michigan' value alone,” he said.

On roads

The House passed a package of bills that would add $500 million to the state's road coffers.“I think it's great the House is being pro-active,” Snyder said. He supports the bills.

Some of the reforms in this package of bills are the same ones the governor has been suggesting for months or years. However, the Legislature has still fallen well short of the $1.3 billion Snyder says will bring Michigan's roads back from the brink.

Those who are upset over language in one of the bills that allows for “the charging and collection of user fees” are reading too far into it, Snyder said.

“The intent of that bill has nothing to do with toll roads,” he said, adding, “If people are concerned, let's take it off the table.”

Roads was a hot topic at the Tulip Time Festival Luncheon earlier in the day as well.

“I understand if you want a great experience, you should go out to Ottawa Beach Road,” he quipped while speaking to the crowd of 900 at Hope College's DeVos Fieldhouse on Wednesday afternoon.

Grand Rapids voters overwhelmingly approved a road tax this week, something Snyder calls a “very positive indicator,” that voters of the state at large might be ready to pay up for better roads.

“I think this winter really got people's attention,” he said during a press conference after the luncheon.

On workplace discrimination

The Michigan Competitive Workforce Coalition includes Herman Miller and Padnos and has called for the state to update its anti-discrimination language to include gender orientation.

“I don't believe in discrimination, so it would be good for the Legislature to look at,” Snyder said.

On education and funding

Much of the investment in the state's schools has gone to the under-funded teacher retirement system, he said.

“We had a big hole to get out of.”

Accountability has always been a big topic for Snyder. Too many students are sliding through school and graduating without knowing the material, he said.

Common Core, he said, creates higher standards, but allows local districts control over how to meet those standards. He deflects criticism that it was handed down by the federal government, saying it was governors and states that developed the idea.

Students have long been told college is the best path to gainful employment, something Snyder calls a mistake. Science, technology, engineering and math careers can be obtained through technical training, he said.

“They're honorable, well-paying careers,” he said. “Parents and kids are not looking at these options.”